Ex-Man Utd star Anderson said 'you don't pay my bills' as he showed tough edge to manager

Former Manchester United star Anderson says that he got his first big break by standing up to the manager as he fought his way from the Brazilian favela.

Anderson joined United aged 19 and was one of the most popular players in the Old Trafford dressing room during his spell there from 2007 until 2015.

Ex-players have also told how Anderson would even get his way with Alex Ferguson more than anyone else.

Anderson is from Port Alegre in Brazil and his first club was Gremio where he established legendary status while he was still very young. He scored a goal during extra time when they had just seven players on the pitch that saw them promoted in 2005.

His performances in Brazil earned him a move to Porto and after a season he landed in Manchester with expectations extremely high over the midfielder.

Anderson quickly struck up a friendship with fellow Portuguese speakers Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani.

And while he also developed a reputation for being relaxed and not a hard worker in training, it is clear from his background that he did know how to be tough and a direct.

He came from poverty in a favela and got his chance to play in the first team at Gremio after standing up to the manager Mano Menezes.

"I come from the favela, which is were normally people live in a bad place, I left my house when I was 11 or 12 years old, I went to live in the club, because in Brazil in the past you could live inside the club," he said of living at the Gremio club stadium.

"I lived at Gremio for two years, the club looked after me for two years, they gave me money, I say the club was like my father because I lost my father when I was 10 years old.

"I left my house when I was 12 for a trial, my mum was fine but she didn't care about me like a son, if I tell the truth I had a very, very difficult life.

"I said to the club either you take me here or I go to International next door and they said they would look into the situation. So I became the only guy from the city who lived at the club.

"There were like 15 boys living inside one small room under the stadium. Football was my way out, because when you come from favela, you have to think fast, you have to have big balls."

And Anderson said that he started off playing at youth level for the Brazil team at left back and ahead of Marcelo who was the same age as him and went on to play for Real Madrid.

"I first played for Brazil as left back - Marcelo - was on the bench but then they decided I had a bit more quality and they put me in midfield," said Anderson, who said he had a confrontation with the Gremio manager after returning from a game with Brazil.

At this point, aged 15, he still hadn't played in the first team for Gremio.

"I came back from the national team, I was a bit angry, I needed money to pay for my apartment, I had moved out of the club when I was 15," he said.

"The manager came and said 'why do you have two phones', and I said 'you don't pay my bills I pay my bills'. He was shocked and asked 'why you talk to me like this'.

"He asked 'what's your name', and I said 'you don't need to ask my name, my name is Anderson', we then went outside and everyone said oh the manager is going to kill you.

"He asked me 'why you speak to me like that, who are you to talk to me like that'. So I said 'I played in England, Barcelona because I had just played in the national team there."

And Anderson went on to explain that his forthright approach with the manager worked well as he went on play in the first team as a result.

"Later I was at the dentist and the president called and asked me to come to the club, I thought I was out of the club but the president said get your boots, your in the first team now," said Anderson.